FIA to enforce Monaco tunnel DRS ban

After safety complaints from many of the drivers, the FIA has made the decision to ban the Drag Reduction System in the tunnel of the Monaco Grand Prix street circuit this weekend.

To prevent drivers taking risks at the sharp right-hander, race director Charlie Whiting has decided to ban the use of DRS in between two specific points on the circuit.

The distance markers 1350m and 2020m (the area of the tunnel) has been specified as an area that DRS cannot be used in.

Otherwise, the device is free to be used around the track during practice and qualifying, and the start/finish straight will soon be confirmed as the race location for DRS use.

In a letter to the Grand Prix Drivers Association on Monday, Whiting claimed that the FIA’s initial tough stance on DRS in the tunnel (they believed there was no safety concern) has since softened.

While most drivers are pleased with this announcement, Renault team principal Eric Boullier doesn’t see the point:

"Some feel that the incentive to benefit will force drivers to take unnecessary risks.
My own view is that the drivers will build up their confidence gradually during free
practice and by the time qualifying arrives they will know in how much of the tunnel
they can safely use the DRS wing.
Often in the past the tunnel has been very tricky to take flat out at the start of
the race weekend when the track is poor.
"This has not caused the drivers to crash, they have simply built up their pace
gradually until they were confident that it could be taken flat - I think the same
approach will emerge with the DRS."